Carnivalia, and an open thread

First post!

I just want to say that I'm 3/4 of the way through my doctoral comprehensive exams. Assuming they pass me, I'll officially be a doctoral candidate!

I just saw "Lucky Number Sleven"

If something is going to have a "Brutal Violence" warning on it, I expect brain matter, not just extra blood, dammit!

good luck, Dan!

I *knew* I shouldn't have started reading this damn blog.

I was umpiring a high school softball game this afternoon, and as I got in position behind the plate, I looked the pitcher right in the eyes. It was then that I realized my grievous error, and prayed silently that she was wearing contacts, so as to avoid the nearly-inevitably-resulting eye baby.

I nearly had to call time to keep from losing it. Thanks a lot!

Love the blog, BTW. Thanks, PZ. ;)

I am looking at the picture of the "Pharyngula state embryo" and am wondering: what is the Minnesota state embryo?

Ditto on that whole 'eye baby' meme. This one is gonna live forever in my house. Even caught my wife breaking into spontaneous laughter after looking in a mirror. Finally caught her breath and asked herself if it was as good for her as it was for her. Then started giggling again.

I worked a graveyard last night and pretty much did it with my entire crew. Even gay optical intercourse. Nonconsentual, but damn, being bad felt so good.

Bet they were wondering why their lab guy kept breaking into snickers whenever he talked with them.

Viney: Intelligent design debate has a long history

By KEVIN FLAHERTY
Morning Sun Staff Writer

Intelligent Design may have made recent headlines for its battle against evolution for a spot in Kansas classrooms, but Don Viney, Pittsburg State University social sciences professor, said the debate goes back much further.

Viney told his philosophy of religion class on Thursday that Plato, an ancient Greek philosopher, was among the first to look at teleological arguments for the world, or arguments based on the study of a purpose. Plato said that a deity likely designed the world, but didn't create it in the classical sense, rather molding things out of elements.
...
Viney referenced numerous philosophers during his Thursday class, including David Hume and Charles Darwin, whose arguments against creationism he called "crushing,"
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"Intelligent Design is philosophy, not science," Smilie said. "That doesn't make it wrong, it's just not science. These things should be taught, and are very important to be taught. It just shouldn't be taught in a science class."
...

Some of you may remember Carrie.
http://tinyurl.com/h7zga

Carrie was the second person in the United States to have an inoperable giant aneurysm repaired with ONYX. I'm happy to report that in spite of my failure to pray and because of my insistence on finding the right doctor, she is still alive and well.

And pregnant with twins!

Two more reasons to stay alive a little bit longer.

"I go on living, more from force of habit than anything else." Robert Pirsig

Testing Darwin's Teachers

Sometimes disruptive but often sophisticated questioning of evolution by students has educators increasingly on the defensive.

By Stephanie Simon, Times Staff Writer
March 31, 2006

LIBERTY, Mo. -- Monday morning, Room 207: First day of a unit on the origins of life. Veteran biology teacher Al Frisby switches on the overhead projector and braces himself.

As his students rummage for their notebooks, Frisby introduces his central theme: Every creature on Earth has been shaped by random mutation and natural selection -- in a word, by evolution.

The challenges begin at once.

"Isn't it true that mutations only make an animal weaker?" sophomore Chris Willett demands. " 'Cause I was watching one time on CNN and they mutated monkeys to see if they could get one to become human and they couldn't."

Frisby tries to explain that evolution takes millions of years, but Willett isn't listening. "I feel a tail growing!" he calls to his friends, drawing laughter.
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Liberty High School senior Sarah Hopkins was proud of her response when a botany teacher brought up evolution last year: "I asked, 'Have you ever read the Bible? Have you ever gone to church?' "
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Cause of Heart Disease Found!.

For years, lack of exercise, diet, smoking and hypertension have been cited as major causes of heart disease. But a large body of evidence is beginning to accumulate that infectious agents, such as certain bacteria and viruses may play a causitive role in the formation of artery clogging plaques.
Recent experiments have suggested that these agents are related to Chlamydia and cytomegalovirus. One strain, chlamydia trachomatis lives in vaginal fluid and semen and it can be transmitted via oral sex. Chlamydia is known as the "silent" disease since up to 75% of women and 50% of men infected with it display no symptoms.
There is also a well established connection between periodontal disease and heart disease. Researchers found diseased gums released significantly higher levels of bacterial pro-inflammatory components, such as endotoxins, into the bloodstream in patients with severe periodontal disease compared to healthy patients. As a result, these harmful bacterial components in the blood could travel to other organs in the body, such as the heart, and cause harm.
It is a possibility, therefore, that cunnilingus may well be the major cause of heart disease in humans! The bacterial and viral factors enter the mouth during oral sex, they are absorbed through diseased gums and are then distributed throughout the body by the cardiovascular system.
There is a lot of circumstantial evidence to support this view:
1. Many people have unhealthy diets, yet fail to develop heart disease.
2. Many people with a healthy diet and plenty of exercise succumb to heart disease at an early age.
3. More men than women develop heart disease.
4. Rates of heart disease are lower in cultures where cunnilingus is frowned upon. It has been suggested that the Mediterranean diet (pasta, olive oil, fish, very little meat) has a protective effect but it may be that sexual proclivities play a much greater role.
So my recommendation is that the next time you get the urge to give your lady a "little head" (old joke), think about the consequences to your health. You may well be placing your life in jeopardy.

I assume Charlie's making a little April Fool's Day joke, but in any case, notice how he didn't implicate fellatio? Interesting, very interesting...

Carlie wrote:

"I assume Charlie's making a little April Fool's Day joke, but in any case, notice how he didn't implicate fellatio? Interesting, very interesting..."

It's not a joke. I have no family history of heart disease, I don't smoke, I eat a healthy diet and I get plenty of exercise. It's the only explanation I can think of for my advanced heart disease. ;-)